Clarity isn't a lightning bolt
If you've ever said, "I don't know what I want," pause before you try to fix it.
You might just be out of practice hearing yourself.
Because for a lot of ADHD professionals, it's not a lack of ideas.
It's the habit of editing those ideas until they stop sounding like you.
And when you've spent years making yourself more strategic, more acceptable, more efficient—your wants don't disappear.
They just go quiet.
Spirals don’t start with indecision
They start with over-adaptation.
— You doom-scroll through job boards at 10 PM.
— You see a role and think, "I could do that."
— Then another. "I could do that, too."
It feels like flexibility.
But under the surface, something's gone missing.
That moment of electricity—the one where you feel a real pull—isn't showing up.
Because instead of listening for what excites you, you're scanning for what sells.
That voice you're listening to?
It's not clarity.
It's internalized marketability.
Let's find your "you v2"
Not the polished version you think hiring managers want.
Not the productivity-optimized version you built to survive.
The version that still wants things, even if you haven't said them out loud in a while.
This is something I walk through in every chemistry call with new clients.
Not because it's a clever exercise.
But because it cuts through the noise.
These 3 questions are designed to bypass your inner editor—and help you actually hear yourself.
1) What's the one thing about your current or past role you'd be genuinely disappointed to lose in your next one?
— This taps into FOLO (Fear of Losing Out)
— A gut check that helps you notice what really matters.
2) What job would you take tomorrow if you knew you couldn't fail?
— No filters. No "what ifs." Just possibility.
— This is where your ADHD creativity gets room to breathe.
3) What did you want to be when you grew up?
— Not because childhood dreams are perfect.
— But because they often hold the why.
— Before RSD and impostor syndrome got loud.
Don't overthink. Don't turn it into a plan.
Just write. Let it spill. You'll be surprised what shows up.
How clarity gets filtered out
Most of us don't lose our clarity.
We just learn to filter it through the wrong metrics.
Approval. Logic. Timing. Efficiency.
Over time, we stop letting desire into the room unless it arrives with a bulletproof plan.
These are the filters I see most often:
— The pressure to pick something impressive.
— The urgency to choose quickly and follow through.
— The instinct to make it sound strategic before it even feels true.
And every time you run your wants through those filters?
They come out smaller. Safer. Less you.
What your clarity actually sounds like
It's not a breakthrough. It's a breadcrumb.
Not a roar. More like a nudge.
It's the idea you keep circling back to—even though you've never said it out loud.
It's the pull that makes no sense, but won't leave you alone.
The version of success that doesn't look flashy but feels like home.
Real clarity doesn't show up when you push harder.
It shows up when you stop editing long enough to hear yourself.
Here's what to remember
❌ You don't need to be more strategic.
✅ You need more space to be honest.
❌ You're not unclear.
✅ You've been shrinking your wants to please others.
❌ You don't need a better plan.
✅ You need to stop shaming the plan you secretly want.
You’re not lost—you’re just out of practice hearing yourself.
This week, let that be your reset.
What surfaced when you answered those 3 questions?
— Say it.
— Write it.
— Let it breathe.
That's where your real clarity starts.
